Phyllis Chen began studying the piano at age 5, learning from a strict, traditional teacher who taught her the standard repertoire. She was a passionate musician, but sometimes wondered how much of her playing was artistic, rather than purely athletic. Her teacher, the virtuoso pianist André Watts, was a Liszt specialist but encouraged her to pursue her own interests. Once, Watts tried Chen’s toy piano; the keys were so small and his hands so big that he struggled to play a single note at a time. “I was very excited to be able to explore without all of the traditional boundaries being tied to it,” she said.

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Persons: Phyllis Chen, “, ” Chen, André Watts, Liszt, Watts, ”, ’ Organizations: Indiana University